While Matt Polster has played right back throughout his career, he is more well known for what he does in the middle of the pitch.
Polster played right back when he was on the Chicago Fire and also earned three starts at the position in the Scottish Premiership for Rangers.
But ever since he returned stateside, he largely has been a midfielder. He did have a brief stint as a left back under Clint Peay but he soon reverted back to the midfield after a few games.
Now Polster is back at right back. With Ilay Feingold out due to injury, Mitrovic has called on Polster to step into the role.
"Unfortunately or fortunately, Marko [Mitrović] knows that I play right back (laughs). I played that for him in Chicago for a couple of years," Polster said. "I've always said I'll do whatever the team needs and help in any way I can. So, I like it – kind of like it. It's good."
That willingness to help the team has been noticed by the coaching staff.
“Matt [Polster] also played right back at some point in his career before, and he's a very good soccer player," Revolution assistant coach Sean Hughes said. "I think we know he has the IQ. He has the quality on the ball that we're looking for, and [most] importantly for us, it's about the team. It's not about one individual. Matt buys into that, and whatever he can do to help the group he's doing, and we're proud of that.”
Polster is a strong defender which helps him when is playing on the backline. Still he has a different profile to someone like Feingold. The Israeli is more likely to use his speed and attack opposing defenders which makes him a great offensive threat.
After his first performance against Atlanta, Polster looked better in the match against Toronto. He completed 97 percent of his passes including 20 of 21 in the opposition half. Polster also had 5 clearences and two interceptions.
The 33-year-old said that there aren't a lot of differences between playing right back or featuring in the midfield. He even said that some aspects of right back make life easier.
"I mean everything's in front of you," he said. "You can see the whole game. I think it's easier in terms of being able to communicate to try and maybe fix anything that might be going wrong defensively. As opposed to the midfield, you only see what's in front of you. So, not much really changes for me. It's the same Matt Polster at right back that it is in the midfield."
With Feingold still recovering from a minor procedure, it is likely we see more of Polster at right back. It allows for Alhassan Yusuf, Brooklyn Raines, and Polster to all be on the field at the same time.
While Polster might not have the same offensive firepower as Feingold, his defensive commitment is valuable on the backline. The football IQ that Morris mentioned has allowed him to play a valuable role for the Revs even as he continues to get older.
